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Tamil Canadians ‘Walk for Justice’ and demand action from PM Trudeau

(Photo of the 7 Tamil Canadian walkers from Brampton and Montreal all wearing white)

7 Canadian Tamils have concluded their “Walk for Justice” this Monday, after walking over 400 km within 14 days to the Capital on Parliament Hill, demanding justice for enforced disappearances of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

These 7 men walked in solidarity with the families of the disappeared, to deliver a petition to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to:

  1. Support a legislative effort to remove sovereign immunity as a defense by states for international crimes: namely genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and enforced disappearances.
  2. Refer Sri Lanka to the Committee established under the Convention Against Enforced Disappearances pursuant to Article 32 of the Convention

 

Amnesty International estimates at least 60,000 people have disappeared in Sri Lanka since the late 1980s. Families of the disappeared are making similar demands of the UN Human rights Commissioner.

Read more here: Families of disappeared urge international community to fulfil ‘last wish’ of investigating Tamil genocide

The 7 men were welcomed and applauded by human rights activists, politicians and groups of demonstrators on Parliament hill, all commemorating the long walk.

These demonstrators gathered within Parliament Hill wearing T-shirts saying, “UN! Why Silent for Tamils?” as well as signs reading, “STOP enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka!”

MP Tim Uppal gave a speech stating;

“These issues have been ignored by this government for far too long” he went on to say, “on behalf of our conservative Caucus and our Leader Erin O’Toole … we stand with you and against authoritarian regimes that use enforced disappearances to silence dissenting voices.”

MP Gary Anandasangaree accepted the presented petition on behalf of PM Justin Trudeau, going on to say;

“the world cannot forget Sri Lanka and I can assure you that as a Canadian government we will continue to be engaged very closely on this issue… and continue to voice our concerns of human rights violations in Sri Lanka.”

 

Call to remove sovereign immunity

The legal doctrine of sovereign immunity largely protects governments from court actions in other countries, however, one exception is when a state engages in commercial activities.

Activists have pointed out the inconsistency of sovereign immunity being removed as a defence for a commercial transaction, but not for international crimes, such as enforced disappearances.

 

 

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